NameCensus.

UK surname

Hudson

Derived from the Old English term for "son of Hudd," referring to a patronymic surname meaning "descendant of Hudd."

In the 1881 census there were 24,393 people recorded with the Hudson surname, ranking it #137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 32,475, ranked #163, down from #137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burnley, East Staffordshire and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hudson is 33,627 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.1%.

1881 census count

24,393

Ranked #137

Modern count

32,475

2016, ranked #163

Peak year

1999

33,627 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hudson had 24,393 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 32,475 in 2016, ranked #163.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 32,923 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hudson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hudson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hudson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hudson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 15,708 #139
1861 historical 16,290 #132
1881 historical 24,393 #137
1891 historical 26,160 #130
1901 historical 30,055 #136
1911 historical 32,923 #112
1997 modern 32,141 #153
1998 modern 33,362 #154
1999 modern 33,627 #155
2000 modern 33,317 #155
2001 modern 32,581 #155
2002 modern 33,378 #156
2003 modern 32,450 #156
2004 modern 32,351 #156
2005 modern 31,843 #157
2006 modern 31,769 #157
2007 modern 31,986 #159
2008 modern 32,037 #162
2009 modern 32,834 #162
2010 modern 33,467 #162
2011 modern 32,925 #162
2012 modern 32,319 #161
2013 modern 32,962 #162
2014 modern 33,097 #162
2015 modern 32,706 #162
2016 modern 32,475 #163

Geography

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Where Hudsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Bradford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burnley, East Staffordshire, Fenland and Barnsley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burnley 004 Burnley
2 East Staffordshire 002 East Staffordshire
3 East Staffordshire 003 East Staffordshire
4 Fenland 006 Fenland
5 Barnsley 014 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hudson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hudson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hudson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hudson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Hudson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hudson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hudson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hudson is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hudson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hudson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hudson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hudson

The surname Hudson is of English origin and dates back to the late 11th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words 'hoh' meaning 'heel' and 'dun' meaning 'hill', indicating that the name referred to someone who lived near a heel-shaped hill. The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Hoddun' and 'Hodden'.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Radulfus de Hoddun, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another early record is of William Hudson from the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire during the Middle Ages.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Hudson throughout history. Henry Hudson (c.1565-1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator who explored parts of present-day Canada and the United States, and for whom the Hudson River and Hudson Bay are named. Jeffery Hudson (1619-1682) was an English courtier who was famously known as the 'Queen's Dwarf' at the court of Queen Henrietta Maria.

Other prominent bearers of the name include the English philosopher and mathematician William Hudson (1730-1793), the American actor Rock Hudson (1925-1985), and the English musician and lead singer of the band Oasis, Liam Hudson (born 1972). The Hudson surname has also been associated with various places, such as Hudson, New York, and Hudson County, New Jersey, both named after Henry Hudson.

Over time, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Hodson, Hoddson, and Hudsson, reflecting regional dialects and evolving pronunciation. While the name has spread worldwide due to migration, its origins can be traced back to the hills and villages of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hudson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hudson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 7,195 Hudsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.04x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 7,195 3.04x
Lancashire 2,677 0.94x
Middlesex 1,783 0.75x
Durham 1,219 1.71x
Surrey 1,166 1.00x
Staffordshire 928 1.15x
Kent 795 0.97x
Norfolk 787 2.14x
Derbyshire 785 2.10x
Warwickshire 749 1.24x
Northumberland 616 1.73x
Lincolnshire 560 1.46x
Cheshire 482 0.91x
Nottinghamshire 424 1.32x
Leicestershire 373 1.41x
Sussex 339 0.84x
Essex 295 0.62x
Gloucestershire 270 0.58x
Worcestershire 232 0.74x
Cumberland 229 1.11x
Hampshire 205 0.42x
Oxfordshire 177 1.20x
Northamptonshire 170 0.76x
Suffolk 169 0.58x
Berkshire 144 0.80x
Bedfordshire 143 1.15x
Shropshire 139 0.67x
Cambridgeshire 134 0.88x
Westmorland 127 2.42x
Isle of Man 115 2.59x
Lanarkshire 114 0.15x
Hertfordshire 73 0.44x
Somerset 73 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 68 0.47x
Rutland 66 3.76x
Devon 64 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 62 1.31x
Monmouthshire 47 0.27x
Dunbartonshire 43 0.67x
Wiltshire 40 0.19x
Glamorgan 38 0.09x
Midlothian 36 0.11x
Angus 35 0.16x
Herefordshire 32 0.33x
Montgomeryshire 29 0.53x
Caernarfonshire 24 0.25x
Dumfriesshire 24 0.45x
Ayrshire 21 0.12x
Cornwall 21 0.08x
Channel Islands 17 0.24x
Radnorshire 17 0.88x
Royal Navy 16 0.56x
Dorset 14 0.09x
Denbighshire 13 0.14x
Aberdeenshire 12 0.05x
Renfrewshire 12 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.11x
Anglesey 10 0.24x
Pembrokeshire 10 0.13x
Morayshire 9 0.24x
Fife 8 0.06x
Roxburghshire 6 0.14x
Stirlingshire 4 0.05x
Brecknockshire 3 0.06x
Orkney 3 0.11x
Selkirkshire 3 0.14x
Wigtownshire 3 0.09x
Berwickshire 2 0.07x
Cardiganshire 2 0.03x
Inverness-shire 2 0.03x
Merionethshire 2 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.03x
Peeblesshire 1 0.09x
Perthshire 1 0.01x
West Lothian 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 427 Hudsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.19x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 427 3.19x
Bradford 300 5.23x
Birmingham 280 1.39x
Horton In Bradford 232 6.27x
Bishopwearmouth 219 3.59x
Camberwell 217 1.42x
Keighley 208 8.23x
Lambeth 207 0.99x
Sheffield 205 2.72x
Aston 196 1.18x
Bowling 164 6.99x
St Pancras London 163 0.85x
Padiham 156 22.75x
Stoke Upon Trent 149 1.74x
Manchester 141 1.10x
Yeadon 140 26.16x
Ecclesall Bierlow 138 2.86x
Manningham 138 4.73x
Islington London 135 0.58x
West Ham 133 1.28x
Liverpool 131 0.76x
Idle 117 10.65x
Middlesbrough 117 3.79x
Westoe 115 2.85x
Hackney London 112 0.84x
Headingley Cum Burley 111 7.28x
Shoreditch London 109 1.05x
Bethnal Green London 106 1.02x
Holy Trinity 106 1.86x
Huddersfield 103 2.98x
Nottingham St Mary 102 1.22x
Oldham 102 1.11x
Brightside Bierlow 101 2.17x
Bermondsey 99 1.39x
Newington 99 1.12x
Hunslet 97 2.62x
Derby St Werburgh 96 4.44x
Hulme 95 1.60x
Mile End Old Town London 89 1.75x
West Derby 89 1.07x
Battersea 88 1.00x
Salford 88 1.05x
Bramley In Bramley 87 9.59x
St George Hanover Square 85 2.02x
Habergham Eaves 83 3.20x
Wakefield 83 4.56x
Shipley 82 6.67x
Sculcoates 81 2.16x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 79 9.18x
Pudsey 78 6.16x
Toxteth Park 78 0.81x
Stockton On Tees 75 2.19x
Halifax 73 2.10x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 73 6.63x
Ilkley 72 18.59x
Southwark St George Martyr 72 1.50x
Bromley London 71 1.35x
Chelsea London 71 0.99x
Armley 69 6.60x
Herne 68 18.82x
Holbeck 68 4.33x
Horsforth 68 13.09x
Kensington London 67 0.50x
Greenwich 65 1.71x
St Marylebone London 65 0.51x
Wolverhampton 64 1.03x
Everton 63 0.70x
Loughborough 63 5.24x
Portsea 63 0.66x
Wortley In Bramley 62 3.30x
Burnley 61 2.55x
Southwick 61 9.05x
Cheadle 60 5.95x
Brighton 59 0.73x
Bingley 58 3.84x
Bow London 58 1.90x
Deptford St Paul 58 0.92x
Kings Norton 58 2.07x
Darlington 57 2.07x
Scarborough 55 2.55x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hudson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1,684
Sarah 935
Elizabeth 921
Ann 526
Jane 498
Annie 362
Eliza 350
Emma 337
Ellen 335
Hannah 335
Alice 334
Margaret 269
Martha 264
Emily 243
Harriet 179
Maria 158
Ada 157
Florence 142
Edith 141
Fanny 133
Charlotte 131
Louisa 129
Clara 123
Isabella 115
Catherine 101
Caroline 99
Lucy 93
Frances 92
Anne 89
Kate 89
Esther 79
Harriett 72
Agnes 66
Eleanor 63
Amelia 61
Rose 52
Susan 52
Matilda 51
Ruth 49
Rebecca 48
Susannah 48
Elizth. 46
Sophia 45
Gertrude 41
Amy 40
Minnie 39
Rachel 36
Grace 33
Julia 33
Selina 32

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hudson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 1,560
William 1,485
George 839
Thomas 836
James 715
Henry 510
Charles 467
Joseph 467
Robert 360
Arthur 256
Edward 250
Alfred 215
Richard 186
Samuel 181
Walter 168
Frederick 166
Albert 143
Harry 140
Herbert 130
Wm. 95
Fred 91
Frank 88
David 84
Ernest 83
Edwin 81
Benjamin 74
Francis 73
Tom 66
Geo. 56
Thos. 56
Isaac 53
Matthew 45
Stephen 45
Christopher 41
Daniel 34
Joshua 34
Percy 31
Chas. 28
Edmund 28
Peter 27
Fredk. 26
Mark 26
Ralph 23
Fredrick 22
Jonathan 21
Alexander 19
Jacob 19
Abraham 18
Robt. 18
Jas. 17

FAQ

Hudson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hudson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 24,393 people were recorded with the Hudson surname. That placed it at #137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hudson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 32,475 in 2016. That gives Hudson a modern rank of #163.

What does the Hudson surname mean?

Derived from the Old English term for "son of Hudd," referring to a patronymic surname meaning "descendant of Hudd."

What does the Hudson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hudson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.